The present invention relates to depilatories. More particularly, the present invention a depilatory composition of a wax-like consistency for use in removing hair from the human body.
Hair removal from certain locations on the human body seems to receive as much attention as the encouragement of hair growth on other parts of the human body. A long-running joke among middle-aged men is that as soon as they start losing hair on the top of their head, hair starts growing from other parts of their bodies where hair is not desired, such as their ears and nostrils. Both men and women face the problem of dealing with hair growing from areas of their bodies where hair growth is not desired. Hair and hair follicles can be removed by various processes such as electrolysis which provides a long-lasting solution. For centuries, women have removed unwanted facial hair and/or trimmed their eyebrows by plucking the hair from their body using tweezers. However, plucking and trimming is painful, provides only temporary benefits, and is not practical for removing large amounts of undesired hair growing on a person's back, arms, legs or the like.
In the past, various cold waxes, creams or the like have been used for hair removal. These formulations can be applied over greater areas of the human body for the purpose of hair removal than can be efficiently and timely addressed by plucking and these formulations also provide longer lasting effects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,313 discloses a combination of honey, rosin and wax heated together and then mixed with citric acid until the mixture acquires a creamy texture. However, it is not disclosed what temperature the formulation is heated to. Also, a wax composition (e.g., beeswax) has been found to be a skin irritant that can cause inflamation. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,949 discloses depilatory compositions formed from a mixture of honey, sugar and citric acid. However, these compositions must be heated so that they are softened prior to use.
Accordingly, there is a need for a depilatory composition that can be readily applied with a finger or fingers. There is a further need for a depilatory composition that can be readily removed by grasping and pulling quickly away from the skin to remove hair from the applied area. There is an additional need for a depilatory composition that is economical and easy to manufacture. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.